"So will Lily be going back to school?" Daisy asked from where she sat next to Genesis, her eyes wide, sparkling with curiosity.
Melissa sipped the juice in front of her and then set it down gently before answering. "No, she wouldn't need to do that."
Genesis nodded silently. She didn't want to go back to a traditional school—there were too many things happening in her life now, too many responsibilities.
"Huh, why not?" Lily pressed, tilting her head.
Melissa chuckled softly, her eyes warm as she looked at Genesis. "Because we've found a way for you to get everything you need without sitting in a classroom full of other students. I know a principal at a high school nearby, and through him, I have the authority to tutor you on everything you'll need to know to write your GED. You've already learned so much with me—reading, writing, math, science—and this test will prove it. You don't need to sit in Year Twelve with the other students; you'll be ready to take your GED in just a few months."
Genesis's chest tightened with relief. So all her hard work, all the lessons Melissa had patiently guided her through, had a real purpose. And when the time came, she'd walk into that exam room prepared, confident, and ready to earn her high school certificate.
Melissa smiled at her, a soft, proud expression that made Genesis's heart swell. "For now, we keep learning together. I'll tutor you until it's time for the exam, and then you'll take it. After that… well, the diploma will be yours."
Genesis's lips curved into a small smile, hope bubbling in her chest in a way it hadn't in years.
Melissa glanced at the clock, then at the group of girls. "I should get going. It's been a long day, and you've all celebrated enough for one afternoon," she said, standing and gathering her bag.
Genesis rose, walking her to the door. "Thank you, Mrs. Melissa… for everything," she said softly.
Melissa gave her a warm, lingering hug. "Always, Genesis. I'll see you tomorrow. We've got a lot of work to do before that GED, and I know you're ready."
Genesis watched as Melissa walked out, the door clicking shut behind her. For a long moment, she just stood there, breathing in the stillness, feeling a sense of accomplishment and anticipation that was entirely new.
****"
"If you destroyed everything, how come there's still a video?" Knight growled. Genesis flinched. From the corner of her eye she watched Damon; his gaze was stern, but she could see confusion swimming in it — the same confused look Knight wore.
Something wasn't adding up. Knight had said they'd destroyed every footage the day they rescued her from Veronica's skims, yet one clip was now circulating on the dark web. She didn't know much about that shadowy place, but it was what Knight's techs called it. After she told him about the video with Melanie and her minions, Knight had sent his guys to trace it — and they'd found it.
"How the hell did the bishop get his hands on that footage?" Leonardo asked, raking a hand through his hair as he stood beside Damon.
Genesis had told Knight what Keenan had said. If Keenan had sent the video to the girls, how did he obtain it in the first place?
Not all the videos had been destroyed. Someone had squirrelled one away.
Knight's hand tightened into a fist. He turned toward the window. "Is Veronica back in the States?" he asked, voice low.
There was a pause that didn't last five seconds before Damon answered. "Yes, boss. She arrived a few weeks ago."
Knight's jaw hardened. "Prepare the car," he ordered, voice like steel.
Damon and Leonardo moved at once, nodding sharply before leaving. The room dropped into a heavy silence, the air thick with tension.
Genesis stepped closer; her breaths were small and uneven in the hush. She reached out, her hand brushing his arm. Her voice was rough and halting, shaped by years of silence. "Knight… please… calm… yourself," she murmured, each word slow but earnest.
Knight's shoulders tensed; the dark energy around him felt sharp and suffocating. He didn't move at first, eyes fixed on the night sky, jaw clenched.
Her fingers lingered. "I… am here… with you," she whispered, trying to peel the tension from his shoulders. "I'm with you."
His hand clenched and then loosened. His breathing caught, then he cut himself off, refusing to name the horror of that place — the web where her image, his wife, his princess, floated for anyone to see.
Genesis tilted her head, her palm smoothing along his shoulder. "It doesn't matter. I'm all yours." Her words were halting, but they were steadying, grounding him.
At last Knight let out a low snarl, almost a whisper. "That… video… your face, your body — it's there, on that God-forsaken web…" His voice faltered; his chest tightened. He turned away as if the words themselves burned him.
Genesis moved closer, lips brushing his shoulder, hand anchoring his arm. She turned him until he looked down at her, rose onto her toes, fingers curling around the back of his neck. She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips — soft, urgent.
Then she took a step back, tugged at the rope of her robe. It slid from her shoulders and pooled at her feet, leaving her bare. Without breaking eye contact, she lay back and presented herself.
"Come to me. Forget them. Forget that place. Just me." Her whisper trembled with anticipation and quiet command, leaving him little choice but to obey.